A number of devices and fasteners are currently available for fastening panels, such as body panels and automobile interior trimpiece panels, to the chassis of a vehicle. As used herein, a body panel refers to, for example, any interior or exterior body panel on a vehicle, a plastic interior trimpiece or any interior trimpiece. Additionally, the panel may be any suitable exterior body panel, such as a fender, bumper, quarter panel or door panel. The chassis of the vehicle may include any substrate, plate, body panel, structural framework, chassis component or subcomponent, wall or any suitable object.
These body panels typically are required to attach to the chassis of an automobile with a relatively low level of insertion force while providing a high level of extraction force suitable to maintain attachment of the panel to the chassis. However, these conventional fastener devices instead provide approximately relatively equal levels of insertion and extraction force. Further, once the body panel is attached to the chassis via the fastener device, the fastener device is typically required to secure the panel to the chassis under a variety of environmental conditions, such as in the presence of vibration at various levels of amplitude and frequency. For example, the fastener device should prevent or minimize the amount of buzzing, rattling or any other type of noise that may cause attention to the occupants of the vehicle or otherwise weaken the attachment. Further yet, another requirement of the fastener device is that the fastener device accommodates various levels of production tolerances, such as various dimensions amongst, for example, the body panels as well as the vehicle chassis. Conventional fastener devices typically do not adequately minimize or eliminate buzzing and rattling and do not sufficiently accommodate variations in production tolerances.
Fastener clips are known for attaching body panels to an automobile chassis. For example, fastener clips are known for including a pair of retaining tabs extending inwardly from a tab aperture formed in a bottom portion of a pair of legs. The retaining tabs are inclined toward the bottom ends of the legs to permit a blade fastener to be inserted resulting in a withdrawal force applied to the blade fastener that is opposed by the retaining tab such that all of the withdrawal force is borne by the retaining tabs in compression. However, the arm length is relatively shorter and stubbier than the leg length so that the arms can withstand the compression force sustained by the arms. As a result, the shorter and stubbier arms require a relatively high insertion force and further place a relatively high minimum insertion force limit. Thus, this known clip limits the insertion force to a relatively high level leading ultimately to more difficulty with inserting the clip causing problems related to repetitive stress syndrome and other worker related ailments.
If the tolerances in production of the slot in the vehicle chassis or in the trim-piece exist, for example, then engagement of one portion of the hole in the chassis with one of the arms may not provide suitable frictional engagement or otherwise result in movement. Further, less than all four of the arms will make suitable engagement with the slot of the vehicle chassis. Twisting of the body panel will be likely more prevalent because less than four contact points are actually made with the slot of the vehicle chassis. As a result, wear, squeaks, rattles, buzzing, corrosion and loss of elasticity and loss of sealing may result, especially after years of vehicle operation and exposure to vibration and other environmental conditions.